By Brandon Petersen
"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
Marianne Williamson published these words in 1992 and in 2005, they were popularized in American mainstream culture by the film Coach Carter, in which the character Timo Cruz (Rick Gonzalez) recites them at the movie's climax, delivering the narrative's theme.
That theme is simply this: Everyone in this world has something to offer, and that only by embracing our personalities and maximizing our talents — truly allowing ourselves to shine brightest — do we make the world a better place.
It was a quote and a sentiment that Westcliff baseball head coach David Shermet returned to time and again in 2023.
The Warriors did not have the headline-grabbing players that Ben U featured, or pitchers capable of carrying them to the postseason like at Embry-Riddle.
They were never ranked nationally by the NAIA like Cal Pac tournament champion UAV, in fact they weren't even ranked in the Top 5 of their own conference preseason poll.
Cal Pac coaches thought Westcliff would finish in eighth place.
No one saw 2023 coming, except the Warriors.
Where they saw a promise, everyone else could only see potential.
Westcliff had a potentially potent lineup riddled with electric bats, so many that there weren't enough places in the order to fit them all.
Westcliff had potentially great starting pitching, assuming the staff could stay healthy and pitch to the back of their baseball card.
Potentially, the Warriors could be a playoff team — the question was, could the players accept their roles and find their chemistry?
The answer, as it turns out, was a resounding, "Yes."
Potential fulfilled the promise and the Warriors once again proved Aristotle correct: The whole became greater than the sum of its parts.
"Everything we did prior, 2019 to now, pointed toward this year," Shermet said. "We brought in an excellent recruiting class, and they were everything we hoped they would be."
The Warriors, picked to finish near dead last, instead finished second in the conference.
Finishing 15-6 overall, the Warriors swept UAV in the regular season and walked off Ben U in the final contest of the year.
They eliminated Embry-Riddle from the conference tournament with the Eagles' ace — and league ERA champion — on the hill.
They were the winningest team in Westcliff history (24) and at one point had won 18 of 21 contests, at which point they stood atop the conference standings.
And oh, by the way, they had the league's runaway winner for Player of the Year, Uly Duran, who finished the season in the Top 2 of every major offensive statistical category.
"That may have surprised a few people, but not us," Shermet said. "We knew we had a good team."
Admittedly, it took the Warriors some time to find their rhythm.
Three straight losses to Vanguard to open the year, then two more to Hope and perhaps their lowest point of the season — a 10-3 loss to Bethesda in which the Warriors surrendered seven runs in the top of the ninth, is how it all got started.
But by the end of the year, Westcliff was an entirely different team. Some of the names that started the year still remained, but frankly, many didn't.
Those who did remain were the truest Warriors of them all.
Warriors by action, not by the label on their jersey.
Players like Eddie Rivero, who Shermet says may not have physically been able to play an inning more.
"He was the spiritual and motivational leader of our team," Shermet said. "Everything started with him. He never wanted to come out of a game for any reason, and he set the standard.
"His will to win and play carried not only him, but our entire team."
Guys like Nolan Wasson, and Evan Rocha, who played through injury every time they suited up.
"Nolan was a monster at the plate and the perfect 1-2 combination with Uly. There's no telling how great a season he would have had if he was healthy the whole time," Shermet said. "Evan was so solid in the outfield, he had a left labrum tear, but we wouldn't take him out. He led the world in walks. On-base and runs-scored are the two most important stats. If you get on and score a lot, your team is winning. That's what Evan did for us."
Dudes like Duran or Caleb Castanchoa, true leaders, who put the team ahead of self, not as a matter of good practice, but of inherent self ethos.
These guys didn't act like leaders, saying the right thing at the right time.
They simply were leaders, doing what's best for the team whether anyone was looking or not. And both were as clutch as they come, delivering at the plate when it mattered most, time and time again.
"Uly is quiet by nature, but speaks up when he needs to," Shermet said. "He is one of the purest hitters I've seen, and he was the backbone of our lineup — voted a team captain. He is willing to do anything to help the team."
While Duran finished the season with an incredible .478 batting average, he was bested by Castanchoa, who hit .479 and was named All Cal Pac First Team DH.
"What a breakout year Caleb had," Shermet said. "He had two walk-off hits, including the game-winner against Benedictine. He has a smooth swing, we are lucky to have him back next year."
The list of true ballers goes on and on.
A guy like Keith Hale, who his teammates dub "Primetime," and proves it by showing up large when the postseason is on the line.
There's Zane Parmenter, who was so good when his number was called upon, that he never gave back his starting role at shortstop.
Or Daniel Esqueda, who carried the two-hole all year and played nearly flawless defense in left and third.
Or Jack Barrios, who hit over .400 in the second half, refusing to be set back by a rough start.
Then there's Eddie Vokes, who, alongside Duran and Rocha, was voted a team captain at season's start, and absolutely shoved in his last appearance against Ben U in Hohokam Stadium.
"All three captains declined their captaincy," Shermet said. "They believed that collectively the entire team had leaders up and don't the roster, and that three players couldn't adequately represent them all."
We can keep going.
There's a guy like Eddie Rios, who finished third in the conference in ERA, and there's Desi Garcia, who was 8-2 and brilliant in his last start, the tournament elimination of ERAU.
There are dudes like Trey Harmon and Ray Moore Jr, who have stuck by Shermet, through thick and thin, from the very start.
Both Harmon and Moore sacrificed with a smile all season, allowing Shermet to place them in auxiliary roles they weren't used to.
Did they complain, and let their lessened spotlight ruin their performance and deteriorate the team?
Not hardly.
Harmon did what he does at the Cal Pac playoffs — he jacked a rocket out of the major league stadium on one hop — but he did it, as he has all season long, as a pinch hitter.
Moore finished the season in the on-deck circle, a cruel fate indeed, but he was also among the loudest and most joyous Warriors in the dugout, even as it became apparent the Warriors would not be moving on.
"Ray Moore is one of our originals," Shermet said. "He came to us in 2019 and was our starting third baseman. He had a setback with injury last year and didn't see the field as much.
"I didn't think we'd give up six runs in the sixth and I expected him to get an at-bat. He was hitting in Nolan Wasson's spot, and Nolan went out with a bang as he crushed a double in his final at-bat.
"I really wanted Ray to get a chance to hit. He deserved that. It will take me a long time to get over that."
The Warriors met in shallow left after Ben U had eliminated them with a mercy-shortened, 12-2 victory.
Friends and family gathered on the field to converse and take pictures, but the Warriors took their time with one last team moment before splitting up and heading their separate ways.
Within the huddle, tears were shed once again, and the Warriors collectively grieved, promising to lift each other up for their rest of their lives.
In the face of the memories of lost loved ones, an on-field loss to a great team like Ben U fades almost instantly into the heartfelt appreciation of those standing in that huddle, and the lasting sensation of joy they were able to experience together one last time before saying goodbye.
"Personally, this was a most difficult year," Shermet said. "We were beset with off-field tragedy, which set us back as a program at times, but, this is such a tight-knit group that we were able to overcome anything.
"The support we had for each other was immeasurable, which is why we persevered. This team became family to each other, and that's what you need when things aren't going well.
"We relied on each other and I would lie down in traffic for any one of these guys, players and coaches alike."
The Warriors once again proved their toughness and resiliency in the face of tragedy this year, but unlike last year, they didn't let the tragedy define them.
Instead, they refused to play small.
They let their individual lights shine.
And they collectively liberated each other.
"I'm really happy this team got a chance to go to the conference playoffs," Shermet said. "The bond between these players is unbreakable. They had each other's backs all season.
"They played for each other, and that's why we had the successful season we had."
2023 Westcliff Baseball All Cal Pac Honors
Uly Duran — Player of the Year
Uly Duran — All Cal Pac First Team 1B
Caleb Castanchoa — All Cal Pac First Team DH
Jack Barrios — All Cal Pac HM C
Jack Barrios — All Cal Pac Academic
Eddie Rios — All Cal Pac HM P
Keaton Slack — All Cal Pac Defense P
Nolan Wasson — All Cal Pac HM 3B
Dillon Kramer — All Cal Pac Academic
Cameron Nguyen — All Cal Pac Champion of Character
